Walking and sitting doll



Aug. 31, 1954 H. P. CLEAVER WALKING AND SITTING DOLL 7 Filed June 12, 1953 INVENTOR HENRY PAUL CLEAVER BY ,1

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 31, 1954 WALKING AND SITTING DOLL Henry Paul Cleaver, West Hartford, Conn., as-

signor to Vogue Dolls, Incorporated, Medford, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 12, 1953, Serial No. 361,197

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a doll and more particularly to a doll so constructed that the legs are movable in opposite directions relatively to the body for a simulated walking action and so constructed that the legs are also movable in unison relatively to the body so that the doll can assume a sitting position.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a doll of the type mentioned having an improved leg mechanism which permits the legs to be readily moved to sitting positions, the said mechanism being strong, simple and inexpensive.

A further object of the invention is to provide certain improved details for the walking mechanism of a doll of the type mentioned, this improved walking mechanism preferably also causing oscillating movement of the head during Walking.

Further objects of the invention will be apparent from the drawing and the following description.

The drawing shows one embodiment of the invention with an alternative embodiment as to one feature, but it will be understood that various changes may be made from the construction shown, and that the drawing is not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

of the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a doll embodying the invention, a portion of the body being broken away to show interior parts.

Fig. 2 is a side view.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken along the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view similar to the lower portion of Fig. 3 with the legs in elevation instead of in section and with the legs in different positions.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view similar to a portion of Fig. 6 but showing one leg swung slightly forwardly with respect to its retaining yoke.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the doll in sitting position.

Fig. 9 is a front view of one leg and associated parts with a portion of the leg in section to show an alternative spring means.

Referring to the drawing, more particularly Figs. 1 to 3 thereof, Ill represents generally the body of the doll which is molded from plastic material. The body is initially molded with separate rear and front portions l2 and I4 which are later cemented together along the surfaces at t6.

A head I8 is provided which is shaped to lit the upper portion of the body and is preferably pivitally movable relatively to the body about a vertical axis. The head is also molded from plastic material with initially separate rear and front portions 20 and 22 which are later cemented together along the surfaces at 24.

Arms 26 and 28 are provided which have ball and socket connections with the body, the arms being connected with eachother and held in their sockets by suitable tension elements such as elastic bands 30 as shown in Fig. 3.

Legs 32 and 34 .are provided which are connected with the body, by mechanism to be described, for pivotal movement about a transverse horizontal axis. Each leg is molded from plastic material with initially separate rear and front portions 36 .and 38 which are later cemented together along the surfaces 40. The lower portion of the body has recesses 42 and 44 for receiving the upper portions of the legs.

The upper portions of the side walls of the legs have aligned transverse apertures 46, the said apertures being partly in the rear portions 36 of the legs and partly in the front portions 38 thereof. A horizontal transverse pivot pin 48 extends through the said apertures 46 and also through apertures in the lower portions of the body near the bottoms of the said body recesses 42 and 44, the pin being held in fixed relationship with the body. The body apertures for the pin 48 are partly in the rear portion I2 and partly in the front portion M.

Mounted on the pivot pin 48 and respectively adjacent the legs 32 and 34 are two similar yokes. Preferably each yoke has an inverted U-shape with the legs thereof at the opposite sides of the corresponding leg of the doll. Each yoke has a transverse horizontal portion 54 between the upper ends of the two legs thereof and has a portion 56 projecting upwardly into the body from the said horizontal portion. As shown,

each yoke consists of a single piece of wire bent to an inverted U-shape with eyes at the bottoms of the legs therefor which eyes receive and fit the pivot pin 48 so that the yoke is pivotally movable on the pin. The wire of each yoke includes the said horizontal portion 54 and is further bent between the legs of the yoke to form an upwardly extending loop which constitutes the said upwardly projecting portion 56. The legs 3 32 and 34 of the doll are normally connected respectively with the yokes 50 and 52 for pivotal movement therewith about the pivot pin 48.

Located within the hollow body IE] is a mechanism which engages the yokes i! and 52 to interconnect them for pivotal movements in opposite directions, the doll legs 32 and. 34. normally mov ing pivotally with the yokes. Preferably and as shown, the said mechanism comprises a single wire having an upright portion 58 which is connected with the body for pivotal movement about its own axis. The lower portion of the wire is bent to provide a transversely extending horizontal loop 60 which is of such size as to receive and loosely fit the upward projections 56, 56 on the yokes.

The upper section of the upright portion 58 of the wire extends through and is guided by an aperture in the upper end of the body, the said aperture being partly in the rear body portion 12 and partly in the front body portion I l. About midway of the body the said portion of the Wire extends through and is guided by an aperture in a horizontal metal plate 62 held by the body. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the rear and front portions l2 and M of the body are formed with ribs $4, 6 5 and G5, 66 having horizontal grooves which register with each other and which receive and fit the plate 62 when the body portions are assembled. The ends of the grooves prevent any rearward or forward movement of the plate. For assembly of the plate 62 with the wire portion 58, the plate is cut at 58 and the portion of the plate is initially bent in one direction sufficiently to permit the wire portion 58 to be entered in the aperture. When the wire portion is in the aperture, the plate portion IE1 is bent back to its normal position.

For assembly, the rear body portion I2 is placed horizontally and the wire portion 58 is entered in the partial aperture in the top of the rear portion. The pivot pin 68 is entered in the partial apertures in the rear portion, the doll legs 32 and 3 3 and the yokes 5i] and 52 having been previously assembled with the pin. The wire portion 58 has been previously assembled with the plate 82 and the plate is entered in the grooves of the rear body portion. Then the front body portion is put in place and cemented, the wire portion 58 being in the apertures at the top, the pin G8 being in the apertures at the bottom and the plate 62 being held by the ribs 64 and 66 in fixed position with respect to the body. The wire portion 58 has an offset '12 immediately below the plate which limits upward movement of the wire with respect to the plate.

One portion of the head, which may be the front portion 22, has horizontal ribs 14 at its sides, these ribs terminating at the corresponding juncture surface 24. Formed in the ends of the said ribs are notches for receiving the ends of a transverse horizontal wire or pin 15 extending across the head. The other head portion has horizontal ribs 78 which terminate at the corresponding juncture surface 24 in position to engage the wire 16 and hold it in place. The transverse head pin '56 has a downward ofiset l9 and the upper end of the wire portion 58 has a hook 80.

For assembly of the head portions with each other and with the body, the hook 85 of the wire portion 58 is engaged with the offset 19 of the head pin '56. Then the head portions are assembled with each other, the ends of the pin Hi having been entered in the notches in the head ribs 14. The head portions are cemented to each other, the head ribs 14 and T6 cooperating to hold the head pin 16 in place. The wire portion 58 and the head pin 16 cooperate to hold the head in ploce, the offset 12 engaging the plate 62 to prevent upward movement of the head. The engagement of the wire portion 53 with the head pin is is such as to cause the head to move pivotally about the axis of the wire portion 58 when the said wire portion is moved pivotally about its own axis.

The walking action of the doll is conventional. As has been stated, the legs 32 and 34 are normally connected with the yokes 50 and 52, so that each leg and the corresponding yoke are pivotally movable in unison. In walking, one leg, as for instance the left leg 32, is engaged with the floor and the body is moved forwardly. This causes relative rearward or counterclockwise movement of the leg 32 and of the corresponding yoke 50 to the position shown in Fig. 6, the projection 56 of the yoke 58 moving forwardly. This causes the loop 66 and the wire portion 58 to turn in the clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 5. Inasmuch as the head is connected to the wire portion 58, the head moves in unison with the loop 513. Then the body is tilted so that the right leg engages the floor and the forward movement of the body is continued, the right leg moving relatively rearwardly from its forward position as shown in Fig. 6. This causes the loop 60 to move in the counterclockwise direction, the left leg being moved relatively forwardly and the head being turned in the opposite direction. This action is repeated as the left and right legs are alternately engaged with the floor.

As has been stated, the doll legs 32 and 34 are normally connected with the yokes 50 and 52 for movement therewith. However, in accordance with the invention each leg is so connected with the corresponding yoke that it can be released therefrom for independent forward movement to a sitting position.

As best shown in Fig. 3, each leg aperture 46 is larger than the pivot pin 48, and each aperture is preferably a vertical slot which makes it possible for the leg to move downwardly with respect to the pin. A spring means is provided on each leg for biasing the leg upwardly and for normally holding the leg in its upper position with the pin 48 at the bottom of the slot 4'8. The upper portion of each leg has a transverse notch 82 in which the transverse portion 54 of the corresponding yoke is entered when the leg is in its uppermost position, as shown in Fig. 3. With the transverse portion of the yoke in the said notch, the leg and the yoke are connected for movement in unison. This relationship is maintained-during the described walking action.

When it is desired to move the legs to forward sitting positions, the legs are moved downwardly so that the transverse portions of the yokes are out of the said leg notch as shown in Fig. 7. This frees the legs for relative forward movements to the sitting positions shown in Fig. 8. Each leg may be moved downwardly by applying force directly in the downward direction and in opposition to the spring means so as to free the leg from its yoke, but preferablyv and as shown each notch 82 has an inclined forward face 84 which serves to cam the corresponding leg downwardly when forward pressure is applied to the leg to swing it forwardly.

Preferably each leg has an arcuate surface 86 which is shaped to frictionally engage the transverse portion 54 of the corresponding yoke when the leg is swung forwardly. The wire of the yoke is sufficiently resilient to apply frictional pressure to the surface 86. The said surface 86 may have a slight depression 88 for receiving the yoke portion 54 to more firmly hold the legs and the body in the relative sitting positions shown in Fig. 8.

The spring means for normally holding each leg in its upper position may be varied, but one suitable spring means is shown in Fig. 3. A tension coil spring 90 is connected at its upper end with the pivot pin 48 and is connected at its lower end with a hook 92 preferably formed integrally with the rear portion 36 of the leg.

For assembly, the rear portions 36 of both legs are placed horizontally and in the proper spaced relationship. The yokes 50 and 52 are engaged with the pivot pin 48 and the pivot pin is placed in the rear portions of the apertures 46, the yokes being in their embracing relationship with the rear portions of the legs. Then the springs 90 are engaged with the pivot pin 48 and with the hooks 92. After that the front portions 38 of the legs are put in place and cemented to the rear. portions 36 thereof. This subassembly of the legs, yokes and pivot pin can'then be assembled with the body, the pivot pin being connected with the body in the manner previously described.

Fig. 9 shows an alternative spring means which, when provided, facilitates assembly. With this alternative spring means the two leg portions may be cemented together without prior assembly with any other parts.

The front and rear leg portions have a slot 94 which extends forwardly and rearwardly, this slot being perpendicular to the notch 82 and perpendicular to a vertical plane through the pivot pin 48. After the leg portions have been cemented, the yokes 50 and 5-2 and the pivot pin 48 are put in place. A thin V-shaped leaf spring 96 is provided and this spring is put in place through the slot 94. With the spring in place, its bottom engages the pivot pin 48 and its side portions spread by reason of the spring resiliency so as to engage the inner faces of the upper portions of the doll leg. By reason of its engagement with the pin 48, the spring 96 resists any downward movement of the leg with respect to the pin, but when downward force is applied to the doll legv the side portions of the spring buckle to permit relative downward leg movement.

The invention claimed is:

1. A walking and sitting doll comprising a hollow body, a transverse horizontal pivot pin in fixed relationship with the body at the lower portion thereof, two transversely spaced leg actuating yokes engaging the pivot pin for pivotal movement about the axis thereof, means located within the body and engaging the yokes to interconnect them for pivotal movements in opposite directions, two transversely spaced legs respectively adjacent the yokes and having transverse apertures through which the pivot pin extends to guide the legs for pivotal movements which apertures are larger than the pin to permit limited vertical movements of the legs with respect to the pin, two spring means connected respectively with the said legs and also with the pivot pin for biasing the legs to their normal upper positions, and meanson, the respective legs engageable with the corresponding yokes when the legs are in their said normal upper positions so as to cause each leg and the corresponding yoke to pivotally move in unison, the last said means on therespective legs being constructed to'be disengaged from the corresponding yokes upon downward-movement of the legs with respect to the yokes and the pivot pin and in opposition to the spring means so as to permit the legs to be moved pivotally to sitting positions independently of the yokes.

2. A walking and sitting doll comprising a hollow body, a transverse horizontal pivot pin in fixed relationship with the body at the lower portion thereof, two transversely spaced legs having transverse apertures through which the pivot pin extends to guide the legs for pivotal movements which apertures are larger than the pin to permit limited vertical movements of the legs with respect to the pin, each of the said legs having an upwardly open transverse notch in the upper portion thereof, two transversely spaced leg actuating yokes respectively adjacent the legs and engaging the pivot pin for pivotal movement about the axis thereof each of which yokes has a transverse horizontal portion entered in the notch in the upper portion of the corresponding leg when the leg is in its normal upper position, means located within the body and engaging the yokes to interconnect them for pivotal movements in opposite directions, and two spring means connected respectively with the said legs and also with the pivot pin for biasing the legs to their said normal upper positions so that the notched portion of each leg is engaged with the horizontal portion of the corresponding yoke to cause each leg and the corresponding yoke to pivotally move in unison, the said spring means permitting downward movements of the legs to disengage the notched portions thereof from the horizontal portions of the corresponding yokes so as to permit the legs to be moved pivotally to sitting positions independently of the yokes.

3. A walking and sitting doll as set forth in claim 2, wherein the notches in the upper portions of the legs have inclined faces for camming the legs downwardly with respect to the horizontal portions of the yokes when pressure is applied to the legs for moving them forwardly to their sitting positions.

4. A walking and sitting doll as set forth in claim 2, wherein theupper portions of the legs have arcuate surfaces for frictionally engaging the horizontal portions of the yokes to retain the legs in their said sitting positions with respect to the yokes.

5. A walking and sitting doll as set forth in claim 2, wherein each yoke has an inverted U- shape with the transversely spaced legs thereof pivotally engaging the pivot pin at opposite sides of the corresponding doll leg, and wherein the said horizontal portion of each yoke extends between said legs thereof and is in the notch of the corresponding leg when the leg is in its normal upper position.

6. A walking and sitting doll as set forth in claim 5, wherein each yoke consists of a single piece of wire bent to an inverted U-shape with eyes at the bottoms of the legs for engaging the pivot pin, and wherein the wire of the yoke is further bent between the legs thereof to form an upward projection for engaging the said means within the body which interconnects the yokes for pivotal movements in opposite directions.

7. A walking and sitting doll as set forth in claim 2, wherein each leg is hollow, and wherein the spring means for each leg is a tension coil 7 spring having its upper end connected; with the pivot pin and having its. lower end connected with the leg near the bottom. thereof.

8. A walking and sitting: doll as set forth in claim 2, wherein each leg, is hollow, and.v whereinthe spring means for each leg is a V-shaped leaf spring located within the leg which spring has the ends of its side portions in engagement with the inner Wallof the doll. legand which References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number spring has its lower portion in engagement with 10 Number the. said pivot pin.

Name Date Simonot Oct. 24, 1893 Reinhardt Sept. 8, 1903 Riechelson Apr. 15, 1952 Gerbaud Dec. 23, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Apr. 3, 1944 Italy Aug. 12, 1950 France Sept. 10, 1952 

